Extract from letter from Lieutenant G. R. Pedder, dated 18th December 1917.
“We have been back here about a fortnight now, and I don’t think we shall move again till after Xmas, at least I hope so, as it is frightfully cold at night now, much colder than this time last year; also, I am riding in the Baghdad Plate on the 27th and the Grand Handicap, also 7 furlongs, on the 29th, and I am showing ‘Matches’ in the Horse Show on the 30th. There’s absolutely no news whatever. Moreover, we haven’t got an English mail for over a month now. It must have been sunk.
‘A’ and ‘D’ have amalgamated messes, and it is much pleasanter than having a squadron mess.
“Fitzgibbon and Le Patourel have gone into Baghdad for a week, as only eight officers are allowed to go there for Xmas, and those eight are all competitors—Hartigan, Keswick, Self, Welstead, Stirling, Ormrod, Norton, Twist.
“I am riding ‘The Witch’ in two races, the horse my servant rode and won on during the first meeting. Box (Lieutenant Jeffrey) hasn’t got back yet.”
Extract from letter from Lieutenant G. R. Pedder, dated 19th December 1917.
“Here we are back again after what ended up in quite a mild show, although at first we all thought it was going to be a very murky business.
“It has turned frightfully cold. This morning I woke up to find a thick layer of ice on the water in my water-bucket inside the tent. Thank goodness we are back here in our standing camp, with tents galore and plenty of clothes and food to help keep out the cold. Personally I like it, although you have got to wear a thick greatcoat all day.